


Overabundance

by sliverofanonymity



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Blood Magic, Book: Dragon Age - Asunder, Colemance, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Tranquil Inquisitor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-04-30 15:56:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5169713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sliverofanonymity/pseuds/sliverofanonymity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Tranquil from the White Spire who escaped when it fell, with a similar description to the mage Trevelyan from the Ostwick Circle (who unfortunately perished at the Conclave) has been touched by the Fade, and given a new start. She assumes the role of Ossa Trevelyan, and has almost everyone fooled.</p>
<p>Almost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Brinn had left Kirkwall long before the uprising, her father was a Dalish outcast, and had clipped his ears, her mother was an apostate, and they had taught her Dalish magic, as well as healing magic. She had found her own mix between the two, and used her own blood to heal others. They lived in a relatively out of the way part of Kirkwall, until her father had sensed it was too dangerous to stay. They had told her to leave the city, before it was too late, and here she was, in Orlais.

Specifically, the White Spire. 

She finished her chore, and headed to the Tranquil quarters, passing mages talking in hushed voices about how there was another murder. Another Tranquil, an elven woman, nodded at her from across the hallway, and they met up in the quarters. 

"I trust you have heard the rumors?" She asked as they undressed and bathed. Brinn nodded, as she splashed the cold water over her cropped hair. All Tranquil were shaved and branded, a humiliating ritual after being purged of their magic, or it would be humiliating, if she felt anything at all. 

Going through the bathing routine, the cleaning routine, day after day, with only the other Tranquil who seemed to be able to see her. It was if the mages and templars couldn't see Tranquil at all. 

Perhaps it was a Tranquil who was murdering mages. Though Brinn kept that thought to herself.

\----

Templar activity had increased in the Spire, and the Lord Seeker had declared the First Enchanter incompetent. Brinn's elven friend had informed her that they were thinking of using the Right of Annulment, and had devised amongst other Tranquil what to do if that were the case. 

\----

Then there was the denial of the Conclave. Second Enchanter Rhys's suspicion in the involvement of the murders. Senior Enchanter Wynne attending a semblance of a Conclave, and talk of the Divine getting involved.

\----

The night the Spire fell, her elven friend had ushered her and the other Tranquil to safety through the catacombs. 

Brinn found herself heading as far East as she could go, to attend the Divine's Conclave in Haven. 

\----

That was all she remembered, before the Conclave.

\-------

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Brinn awoke in a dungeon, her every muscle aching, her head pounding. Her hand crackled an eerie green, and pain shot up her entire left arm. She grimaced, as she tried to stop the pain from spreading, but noticed her wrists were shackled.

She looked up as she heard angry footsteps echoing down some stairs. Was she in the Spire again? Had they caught her?

An angry looking woman pushed her way into the room past the guards. Brinn squinted as light flooded into the dank cell, and the angry woman was followed by another woman. She blinked in confusion as the angry woman began to question her.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now!" She barked the question. Brinn flinched, her hands twitching, the shackle cutting into her wrist. What was the context of her question? The angry woman glared at her, that was when she felt the tears falling down her face. She didn't know what was going on. The other woman pulled the angry woman aside. They spoke in hushed tones, while Brinn continued to sob.

"Do you remember what happened? At the Conclave?" The other woman asked, gently. Brinn looked up, her memory fuzzy. Suddenly, it all came flooding back, the other Tranquil, meeting Ossa Trevelyan, the Divine,  _the Fade_ . Choosing her words carefully, Brinn spoke.

"I remember... an explosion... then... a woman..."

"A woman?" 

Brinn's blood dripped down her wrist, and she could feel the stirrings in the fade, her memories hazy, but she remembered Ossa's brown eyes twinkling as she complimented Brinn on her appearance, how she'd have them fooled as her twin or something. She was dead now. So were all the other Tranquil, the mages, the... the  _Divine._

"They're... they're all dead..." The tears flowed again.

Her shackles were undone, and her wrists were bound in rope instead as she was dragged along by the angry woman. Out into the daylight, she squinted as the woman, Cassandra, dragged her along. The sky was cracked, a sickly green light spilling out in a spiral to through to the sky. Her left hand reacted painfully, she dropped to her knees as the green energy crackled sickly through her.

Cassandra helped her up, cut her bonds, and they ran, Cassandra cutting through the things pouring out of the green rifts. Brinn spotted some weapons laying in the rubble of a bridge, she reached for a staff out of instinct, but hesitated, switching for the daggers at the last second, and cutting down the Shade before it could hurt the other woman.

"Put those weapons down! Now!" Cassandra barked at her, Brinn lowered the daggers, moving to drop them, but the other woman hesitated, sighing. "I can't protect you... you'll need them."

Tucking the daggers into the belt of her tunic, Brinn ran ahead, they fought a few more Shades, as well as some Wraiths. Each time, Brinn fought the strong urge to throw a spell, and threw a dagger instead. By the time they reached a significant rift, Brinn's wrist was grabbed roughly by an Elven mage. Fade magic flowed through her being, and the rift closed, she pulled her arm back, defensively, eyeing the man wearily. 

"Do you think she created the rift?" Cassandra asked the Elven man, before glaring at the Dwarven man who was attempting to make conversation with Brinn.

"I doubt any mage could have created the Breach, Seeker." The Elven man eyed Brinn suspiciously, she attempted to remain stoic as the cold wind and the sounds of battle made her shiver. "But this one is no  _mage._ "

Brinn let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding, and asked the Dwarven man, who Cassandra was hounding about something, about his crossbow.

"You named your crossbow Bianca?"

"I sure did!" He replied, and slung the crossbow onto his back. Suddenly everything was on her to lead the party, so she lead Cassandra, the Elven man, who introduced himself as Solas, and the Bianca wielding Dwarven man, Varric. Who seemed to have wronged the Seeker, Cassandra, in a terrible way, yet they were... flirting? Brinn shrugged it off, and lead them down a rocky path, and across a frozen lake, they fought some more Shades, and Wraiths, and she was getting used to the daggers, despite her wrists protesting.

Reaching the forward camp, Brinn stopped for a moment, and wrapped her hands roughly, before joining the others who had congregated around a Chantry Brother, and the mysterious woman from before. 

"Lady Trevelyan." The woman greeted her, warmly. Brinn did not correct her. However the Chantry Brother seemed suspicious of her being there. She did not want to anger anyone further by confirming his suspicions, so she played along. 

"Leliana!" Cassandra greeted the other woman fondly, and her fondness was returned with a forced smile. Ah, was she injured?

As they spoke heatedly amongst each other, as they devised some sort of battle strategy, Brinn looked around the camp a little more, stumbling across a broken shard of a mirror, or something. Glancing at her reflection, she quickly checked her forehead, brushing her fringe aside gingerly to inspect her Tranquil branding.

It was gone. 

_ Impossible.  _

"Lady Trevelyan!" She dropped the shard in her shock, and returned to the others. She was to make a decision, to creep through the mountain pass, finding Leliana's lost spies, or charge in with the main force. Her brows knitted, the spies could inevitably drop her facade, but the soldiers were prepared to hold the line. 

"We take the mountain path." She announced clearly. If she was really going to become Ossa, she would have to make decisions that a rogue would make, and a rogue wouldn't rush into battle. Though she considered that a mage shouldn't really either, but if they saved the missing forces, they would have backup.

\---

Finding the missing forces hadn't been too hard, and as Brinn jogged down the hill towards where the explosion had happened, she saw bodies littering the circumference of the explosion. She felt flashes of memories, of people talking, of her friends. She trod softly between the people that had been reduced to skeletons and cinders, she fixed her expression, trying not to think about them.

 Someone came up beside her, Cassandra. 

"That was where we found you, unconscious, outside the Rift." She explained. Brinn looked towards the rubble, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had been responsible for this. She moved forward, towards what they had been calling "The Breach". Somewhere along the path, there was something that scared Varric.

"You know that stuff's Red Lyrium, Seeker." He spoke, taking a wide arc around it. Warning the others not to touch it. Brinn could feel it singing to the magic in her body, it felt unsettling.

A loud booming voice seemed to echo around them, playing back something, something with the Divine's voice... and... Brinn's.... she couldn't remember. Her memories were being played back, but they were fuzzy, so fuzzy. Then the Elven man forced her hand on the Rift.

The pain was incredible, it shot through her hand, through to her arm, and up through her shoulder, down to her feet. She screamed. It was not like the other rifts. This was the original, and she could feel it.

Before she realised, she was on her knees, and the cackling of a Pride demon could be heard echoing throughout the basin. Stumbling to her feet, she ran behind a pillar, as the demon cracked it's electricity filled whips. Shades poured out of the Fade, as Solas yelled at her to do something about the Rift, interrupt it or something?

She lifted her left arm, and the green light shot from her hand into the rift, disrupting it, while more Shades tore through. She glanced towards the Pride demon, who seemed to be on one knee. Reaching for her daggers, she cut through the Shades, and let the others focus on the Pride demon.

She tried the rift again. Nothing came out this time, and the Pride demon slumped over, she could see Cassandra hacking away at it with some of the soldiers. 

"Seal the Rift!" Solas yelled at her from her left, as he shot some ice magic towards the Pride demon's face. Brinn responded by forcing her left arm again. The sickly green shot out of her arm again, and the rift was still.

  


	3. Chapter 3

Brinn wasn't even aware she had passed out, until she awoke to the sound of a door opening. A slim Elven woman came in carrying some poltices, she dropped them in shock as she noticed that Brinn was awake. 

Trying to settle the shocked woman, Brinn realized she must have been a slave, or a servant, worried she might get the switch. Not unfamiliar with the treatment of slaves, she quickly let the woman go, immediately regretting not asking for her name. 

Her head pounded, and her left arm was sore, but the searing pain was gone, she looked at her palm. The eerie green glow was still there. Sighing, she set about dressing, eating the rations she could find, and making the bed. When nothing else needed cleaning up, she gathered the things she assumed were for her, and opened the door.

Hundreds of people were standing outside, waiting for her, she gasped, and moved to close the door, shutting herself back in the room, but a gust of wind blew the door open, and she was forced to walk out. Their eyes bore into her, and they were whispering excitedly, as well as yelling out things like "Herald". Someone was singing the Chant of Light. 

She made her way hurriedly away from the crowd, an unseen force leading her to the Chantry,  _where it will be safe_ . She ran inside the double doors, and slammed them behind her, immediately finding somewhere in the shadows to hide. She sat for a while, slowing her breathing, and listening to a Sister reciting the Chant. Looking around a little, she was drawn towards a closed door, shouting could be heard coming from inside. Steeling her nerves, Brinn pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

The Chantry Brother was yelling at Cassandra, something about her being a "false Prophet" or something about "Andraste" and she tried to make herself small, but the Brother saw her and started to throw accusations at her. Cassandra practically forced him out of the room, after slamming an old tome on the desk in the centre of the room, claiming that the Inquisition was reborn, and that he had no place here.

The door was slammed shut behind the man, after the guards were also forced out of the room. Brinn shivered, and stepped into view. Cassandra greeted her, and introduced Leliana; the Spy Master, Cullen; the Commander of the Troops, Josephine; their Diplomatic Advisor, and herself; a Seeker, broken off from the Chantry. They were forming an Inquisition, and she was the "Herald of Andraste".

"That's... an impressive bunch of titles..." Brinn grimaced. Everyone was important... and it seemed as if they were counting on her, well, Ossa Trevelyan... to be something. Balking at the idea of anyone finding out that Ossa was dead, she kept up the appearance.

"You are a well known noble, of house Trevelyan, are you not?" Josephine smiled at Brinn, causing the woman to shake a little as she nodded. "We're a big family... I wasn't  _that_ important..." 

Josephine frowned, crossing out something on a parchment attached to her board. Leliana's eyes shone with mirth as she read what Josephine had crossed out. 

"Oh Josie..." she chuckled. The others chattered amongst themselves, and Brinn was left standing akwardly. 

"Oh, right." Cullen spoke up, bringing their attentions to the map on the table at the centre of the room. "There is some trouble in the Hinterlands..."

They spoke well into the rest of the day about the happenings of the war, and what was going on. Brinn was frightened, none of this had even reached the Free Marches yet, and she hoped her parents would be okay. Gulping down some of the hot, mulled wine that had been brought in by a recent servant as they worked out strategies, Brinn noticed that something was happening in Orlais, perhaps she could find out about what happened to the White Spire...

She was finally given leave of the War Room mid afternoon. Deciding she needed a walk, she familiarized herself with her surroundings, speaking with people, and fabricating her life in the "Ostwick Circle". Even going as far as telling the gullible Josephine that she had loved a Templar. She was actually surprised that the ex-Templar Cullen hadn't noticed her magic, although, she hadn't tested it just yet. 

The only person she seemed to have trouble with was Solas, the Elven man stared through her, seeming to insinuate that he knew about her magic, especially when blood magic was mentioned. Though it brought her great relief to hear him say that he thought, "it was just another class of magic", and wasn't necessarily dangerous. Then came the talk about Spirits.... and Brinn was reminded of her time in the White Spire, and even before, when her father would tell her old Dalish tales, of the Fade, and Elvhen Gods. Once Brinn had tired of Solas' Fade walking, she bid him farewell, and retired to her hut for the night.

\----

He stands, crouched in the shadows on the roof, listening. The Templar are being given their vials of Lyrium, some are red, some are blue. There is a demon watching, and the red crates sing an eerie song. He shivers as the demon looks right at him. He is not there.

\----

"Hello Brinn." 

She is in the Fade, she can feel it, as Mouse, from her Harrowing stands beside her. 

"I see you have your powers back..." His mouth forming a strange smile. Brinn says nothing. She isn't whole in the Fade yet. Mouse looks around for her, but he cannot see her. He almost seems frantic.

"Brinn?!" He calls. 

\----

 


	4. Chapter 4

Brinn awoke with a start. It was still dark, but she lit a candle, and rose from the simple bed anyway, wrapping the blanket around her. Her magic was back, yet it wasn't  _right_ , it wasn't  _her_ magic. She waved her hand over the freezing bowl of water on the chest, trying to call up some fire spell, it worked, but barely. The water was barely heated, but she splashed it on her face anyway. She rifled through the drawers of the chest, finding a clean tunic and breeches, hoping to come across a mirror, or something, to inspect her forehead. But there was no such thing. She did manage to find a wooden comb though, and she pulled it through her thick dark hair, she wet her fringe, and combed it straight over her brow. It would have to do. She tucked her daggers into her belt, and the wooden comb as well. She pulled on her boots, and made an early round of the grounds of Haven. 

She went directly to the Chantry, and to the War Room, Cullen was hunched in a seat looking at some paperwork, as she slipped in.

"Morning." She muttered, pouring herself some mulled wine, and sitting in another of the seats. Cullen gave a grunt, and signed a parchment, folded it, and dropped some wax to seal it. After setting it aside, he looked up.

"Andraste preserve me. Lady Trevelyan!" He looked at Brinn, running his hands through his hair. "Is it morning already?"

Brinn nodded, and sipped at the wine. The Commander offered her a plate with bread, cheese and dried meat on it. "That explains this then.." He mumbled, returning to his paperwork. Brinn helped herself, and looked at the stacks of paperwork. 

"Need any help?" She asked, gesturing to the different piles he seemed to have. Cullen held up his hand for a moment, then finished reading the parchment. 

"What was that?"

"Help. Need any?" Brinn asked again. Cullen stood up, flustered, and went to a large pile, looking through some of the letters.

"Ah, yes, this is yours. Herald, these are for you." He handed her a large stack of parchments. "Leliana usually sorts through the letters, but she's delegated half of them to me." He explained. "We have to open them to check for anything dangerous. Please understand."

Brinn nodded. It was a common job for literate Tranquil back in the tower, to intercept the mail of the mages, in case anyone was going to escape. A lot of the time, it was family members reminding their offspring, or siblings that they were cursed, and she usually burned those. However, looking through the thick stack of letters now... they all thought she was Ossa Trevelyan... She took a swig of the mulled wine, and opened the first one. Fussy handwriting, extending congratulations to the Herald was a letter from Orlais. Unfolding the parchment slowly, Brinn began to read.

Twelve letters in, and Cassandra burst into the room angrily, looking from Cullen's disheveled form as he signed and sealed another letter, to Brinn, hunched in a chair, clutching a letter, her eyes full of tears. She ran out of the room, and down into the guts of the Chantry, Cassandra left standing bewildered in the doorway.

 

\----

 

Her parents were dead.

 

She didn't want to believe the tidy handwriting of her Tranquil friend, but it was there, in her round about way of writing, that they were dead. Brinn choked back the bile that had risen in her throat, as she slipped into the shadows, finding a wall to steady herself on. Someone was ringing the breakfast bell, and she had to get out of the Chantry, out of Haven, just to clear her head.

Running down the lesser used path, down past the Apothecary, Brinn ran. She ran to the collapsed bridge, and back the way Cassandra had dragged her. The destruction led away into thickets of trees, yet through her blurry eyes, Brinn didn't notice. Soon brambles began to tear at her clothes, and the letter, no longer ledgible through the smudging and tears, was forgotten as she stumbled through the brush. 

She let out a keening wail of despair as she arrived in a clearing, dropping to her knees. 

Her parents, her father, who had tried so hard to be human for her mother that he cut his own ears. Who taught her to love unabashedly, to perform the magic that was sacred to his people, the Dalish. And her mother, her dear sweet mother, whose plump frame was always heaving with laughter, whose tender hands had woven spells into her hair, and who turned to healing, when her blood magic was forbidden.

A sob wracked her chest, as she screamed in anguish once more. They put everything on the line for her, and she'd wound up Tranquil, due to a stupid mistake. 

"Stupid, stupid mistake..." she blubbered, trying to push the snot and tears away from her face. 

 She'd practiced blood magic. In Kirkwall.

Her parents had had no choice but to flee the city, and it looks like the Templars finally caught them. 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contains mention of self harm, mostly in relation to blood magic.

Brinn wandered the forest for days, eventually exiting near the frozen expanse of Lake Calenhad. She slowly meandered her way back to Haven, feeling completely numb. 

Cassandra was the first to see her, standing outside by the training dummies, squinting against the glare coming off the ice and snow. She called for Cullen, and together they ran towards the disheveled figure. 

"Lady Trevelyan!!" Brinn heard someone call, and barely felt the touch of strong arms lifting her up and over a shoulder. Cullen fretted nearby, worried Cassandra would drop her, yet the Seeker carried the other woman as if she didn't weigh half a druffalo.

Brinn vaguely registered the apothecary Adan as he shuffled with bandages and poultices, attending to her many self inflicted wounds. Deep cuts that stung when he applied a tonic. It was the most she had felt in days. 

Adan worked almost silently, grunting and tutting at the state of her wounds, yet cleaning them with care and practice. Brinn watched in a trance as he applied more of the burning tonic, the pain shot shivers up her arm and through her neck and chest. Blood began to slowly flow from the wound. Adan frowned, and applied more of the tonic, before packing the wound with a poultice, and wrapping it. 

She was given a few vials of a tonic, and told to lay down on the cot in the corner. Adan told her to drink the vials, and rest.

She stared at the vial with a blue liquid floating inside, lyrium... She looked at Adan, and he grunted at her to "drink up!" Brinn complied, and felt the lyrium tug on her soul, her mana flowed out and around her. 

She could feel her magic again. 

Adan motioned for her to drink the other vials and go to sleep, as he dragged a curtained partition she hadn't noticed earlier, shut.

Sleep came quickly, and with it, the Fade.


	6. Chapter 6

While the Herald of Andraste slept, various members of the Inquisition came to get an update from Adan. The grumpy apothecary wouldn't entertain more than "asleep" as an answer.

  
However, when the Herald had been asleep for a week, and the paperwork was severly backed up, Cassandra decided it was time to take action. Several patrols were sent out into the Hinterlands to gather resources and help the civilians. Scout Harding was in charge of setting up extra camps, while Cullen sent troops to back her up.

  
Yet, there was one thing they couldn't proceed with without the Herald, the visit to the Orlesian capital of Val Royeux. That, and they needed access to the Fereldan city of Redcliffe. The Herald being asleep was not helping the cause.

  
\---

  
Brinn looked up at the sky, its familiar grey smudge of clouds, and overall colourlessness was calming.

  
"Please, you need to wake up!" Mouse insisted desperately. Brinn ignored him, she was awake. Clearly, he needed to wake up. Yet, when she looked at him, his form was fluid, changing shape.

  
Something stung her like ice, and she had a snippet of a vision of a flaxen haired young man. Flinching from the pain, she opened her tightly shut eyes.

  
-

  
She was back in the Spire, in the dankness of the dungeon. The floor was covered in grime, urine, and blood. There were marks on the wall, she had been trying to get a sense of time, with the rotation of the guards. Three days.

  
It was the day she was made Tranquil.

Brinn shook. Had this all been a dream? Had Haven, the Fade, everything, been a starvation induced dream? 

She didn't want to do this again. She couldn't!

"Please! Somebody kill me!" She cried as she tore into her skin with her dirty jagged nails, drawing blood. It splashed onto the ground of the cell. Sobbing, and screaming, she tried in vain to use blood magic, yet the Templars that had captured her, had used Holy Smite on her, and she was devoid of mana.

A gentle touch on her shoulder made her jolt. 

A vision of a flaxen haired young man.

"I'm sorry."

The flash of a dagger. Yet a pause. A frown.

"Something isn't right."

"Please! I don't want to be Tranquil again!!"

"This isn't right! I can't do this!" The man backed away. "No! Rhys told me this was wrong... I can't!"

Brinn looked at him in desperation. "Please!" She begged him.

He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Forget."

-

Brinn awoke in the apothecary's hut just as the dawn came, exactly two weeks after she had fallen asleep. 

After getting the all clear from Adan, she ventured outside. The air felt brisk, as she slowly hobbled towards the Chantry for something to eat. Once she had reached the double doors, she felt sore, as if she had run the whole way there. She had forgotten to ask how long she had been asleep for.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contains mention of self harm and blood.

After a pause for breakfast, she was requested to come to the War Room, they had scouted the Hinterlands, and aquired a few steadfast allies. Among them, a strong willed Chantry Mother, Mother Giselle. 

Josephine and Leliana had gotten Brinn up to date with the woman's actions, the Chantry had tried to rid themselves of her, and labelled her a heretic. Brinn met briefly with the woman, and discovered how selfless and giving she was, if the Chantry labelled her a heretic for feeding the poor and sheltering the homeless, then she supposed there should be more heretics within the Chantry ranks. Mother Giselle gave her a lot to think about, especially since she was willing to put her life on the line for the people, Brinn thought she ought to do the same.

 

As Brinn turned away from Mother Giselle, she entered the War Room, where she discovered that her advisors had organised everything, Cassandra was adamant about heading to speak with the Lord Seeker, to gain the help of the Templars. They would be leaving in three days. 

This gave Brinn little time to do much other than get her things together, where she discovered they had recruited a few new faces. She busied herself for the rest of the day meeting with the Orlesian Circle's First Enchanter: Vivienne, the Grey Warden; Blackwall, the Tevinter Mercinary; Krem, his boss, a Qunari Ben-Hassrath; The Iron Bull, and a young quirky elven woman, who by all means did not like to be called "elven"; Sera. 

 

All of these new people greeted her in their own ways, Krem was rather useful, and found a few interesting things out for the Inquisition, especially since there was something strange going on in Redcliffe. 

 

Brinn sat on a rock in the small closed off area beside the Chantry, the mages had alligned with Tevinter, the templars had locked themselves up in Therinfall Redoubt, and the Lord Seeker was acting odd according to Cassandra. She supposed she should buy herself some new supplies with the allowance the Inquisition had saved up for her. She went to the armory, and had Harritt craft her a pair of Bloodstone daggers. She used the rest of the day's light to practice with them on the dummies with Cassandra. 

 

The two women worked in silence, only the grunts of exertion were any indication of physical strain. Brinn's arms ached, especially her left, yet, she didn't slow down, she had also asked for a small sharp easily hidden dagger, which, as she moved, cut slowly into the flesh of her arm, and pooled into the elbow of her armor. She had prepared herself with extra padding, and a torniquet, so the blood would not escape. The pain kept her going, and she would occasionally use it to bulk up her attacks. 

 

"I'm impressed, Herald." Cassandra said, stopping to wipe her forehead of sweat. "You are recovering well."

 

Brinn continued to hit the dummy, then plunged both of her daggers into the chest of it, panting. She looked at Cassandra in the fading light, and the strong-jawed Nevarran woman smiled at her. They packed their things, and headed back inside the gates for supper.

 

 

\----

 

That night, Brinn found herself somewhere dark, she quickly slashed her wrist, and pulled the blood to protect herself, something was watching. She quickly drew up demon dispelling sigils around her, and tried to focus. A mouse kept squeaking, there was a terrible smell, then... light.

 

She awoke, the scent gone, the only sound was horses, and Cullen shouting orders at the troops. Brinn dressed quickly, adjusted her pack, daggers, and other items. Splashed some water on her face, and refilled her water skin. Leaving her cabin, she passed Threnn, the Quartermaster, who offered her a cloth wrapped in twine.

 

"Some salted meat, for the journey." She told her as she pressed it into her hands. Brinn thanked her, and made the last circuit of Haven, before meeting Cassandra, Vivienne, and Sera out by the horses. Some of Leliana's spies would head there first, but they were to meet up with the Orlesian nobles' caravan before dusk, from there, they would travel to Therinfall Redoubt. However, the nobles wanted to stop each night, so it would be a long, harrowing process. Brinn adjusted herself atop her horse, which was a dappled grey, and lead the party, a few Inquisition members were following behind in a cart, with more supplies, and some tents.

 

Setting out, the women rode abreast, while Cassandra and Brinn took turns leading. By dusk, they had reached the Orlesian caravan. If they were quick, they could make it to Therinfall Redoubt before dawn, yet the nobles complained and moaned, and drank their wine and played their games. Brinn helped Sera carve a few arrows. As they whittled away, Brinn chewed some of the salted meat Threnn had given her, and thought about how the Lord Seeker would welcome them.

 

Anxiety churned in the pit of her stomach, and as they set up for bed, Brinn offered first watch, Cassandra sat with her for a while.

 

"Herald..." Cassandra began. "We already know the mages are a lost cause, so the templars are our only hope for closing the Breach."

 

Brinn wasn't entirely sure about what Cassandra was attempting to say to her, but it sounded like "don't fuck this one up". Despite the fact that she had not even interfered with the mages. She poked the fire with one of the arrows she hadn't carved properly, "wrong wood" apparently. 

 

"I'll do the watch, Herald, you look exhausted." Cassandra offered softly. Brinn said nothing, and retreated to her tent.

 

\----

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violence in this chapter

The morning came, and they set off long before the nobles. Apparently one too many hangovers, or some other bullshit. Brinn was furious, they had made it to a field that was a short day's hike to Therinfall Redoubt, and set up camp, some of the more serious nobles had followed and reached their camp by mid afternoon. The caravan didn't arrive until a little past dusk. 

 

Sera wanted to play some tricks, but Brinn told her it would keep them from making it in time. Sera gave Brinn a rude guesture in response. 

 

"You're no fun." She pouted. 

 

"Once we reach Therinfall, you can do as you please." Brinn offered. Sera cackled wildly and said she needed to do some preperations. 

 

\----

 

Brinn watched the lights in the tower at Therinfall, they either seemed to be running low on supplies, or there weren't many left, as only about a quarter of the hold was lit.

 

Something started to feel wrong, so she turned her head away, and settled in for the night.

 

\----

 

The nobles were up at a reasonable time, and they made it to Therinfall Redoubt just after lunch. Brinn could only chew the jerky that the quartermaster had given her. Threnn must have known she was nervous, she looked at her hands as she cleaned up to meet with the noble who agreed to this whole debauchery.

 

Lord Esmeral Abernache stood in the greenery just outside the keep, he made idle chatter, which Brinn chose mostly to ignore. He was apparently well acquainted with Ossa Trevelyan's uncle, or something. 

 

They eventually came a full circuit, and entered the looming walls of Theirinfal Redoubt. It had certainly seemed maintained from a distance, yet stale hay, an abundance of carrion birds, and clouds full of thunder made Brinn feel uneasy.

 

There was also a tingle of magic in the air, to the right of the keep's entrance. A raven sat perched, high on the wall, and Brinn was reminded of mages who could shape shift. 

 

Lord Abernache announced himself, then Brinn, as the Herald of Andraste. Yet the young templar; Ser Barris responded to Brinn. 

 

"The Lord Seeker sent me out to greet you." Ser Barris began, as Lord Abernache began counting off ways he could destroy his family by name for ignoring him.

 

Brinn approached Ser Barris, as he leaned in to add that he was not expecting such a huge amount of people. Especially since they had nothing to offer guests, and no fresh hay for the horses. Brinn told him not to worry about it, and Ser Barris lead the Herald, the Lord Abernache, Sera, Cassandra, and Vivienne through the gates. The others were all told to wait, as the Lord Seeker had not been expecting them.

 

This annoyed some of the nobles, but Sera told them to shove it, and the gate was locked behind them.

 

They were lead into a small courtyard, where one of the other templars informed them that the Lord Seeker had apparently devised a test. Ser Barris walked over to a door, where he waited for them to complete the ritual. Brinn would have none of it. 

  
  
"The Lord Seeker is wasting our time! If you please, I will take no part in this petty ritual." 

 

She walked her small group over to the door where the attractive young templar stood. Lord Abernache followed along after Ser Barris lead them through into the commons. 

 

They had just passed through the threshold, when heavy footfalls brought attention to the Knight-Captain heading a few other templars.

 

"Knight-Captain Denam!" Ser Barris exclaimed. Cassandra shot him a look, but it seemed like this was not expected.

 

"So, this is the _herald_ of change." The Knight-Captain began, attempting to intimidate them. 

 

"Barris..." Brinn saw the intimidation technique had worked on the younger templar, as he took on a stronger stance.

 

" _You_ are why everything must be moved ahead." Denam reached for his sword and shield.

 

"Barris! What's wrong with him?" Brinn asked, the panic clearly showing in her voice. 

 

They heard the door lock behind them, as the Knight-Captain rushed towards her.

 

Cassandra raised her sword, and blocked the Knight-Captain's heavy blow, the other templars had pulled out their weapons, and there were at least two archers. 

 

Brinn pushed forward to attack one of the archers, cutting down the arrows as they fired, Sera flanked the other one. Vivienne cast quickly to freeze one of the swordsmen, and Cassandra and Barris took on Denam. 

 

Finishing off the archers, Brinn and Sera helped Vivienne take down the other swordsmen, Knight-Captain Denam was still attempting to land a hit on Cassandra, her shield taking most of the damage. They sped over to assist her, and they overwhelmed the Knight-Captain, Brinn ending the fight with him clutching at a reasonable wound, before collapsing. 

 

The sounds of steel clashing against steel, and shouting could be heard through the locked door, and through to the rest of the keep. 

 

A loud booming voice began to call out, and mock Brinn. Assuming everyone could hear it, Brinn ignored it, like everyone else.

 

They raced through corrupted red templars, Barris getting more and more frantic, as he had been unaware of the corruption in the ranks above him. They found several uncorrupted templars, and made it to the courtyard that spread out before the Great Hall.

 

Brinn halted. The source of the voice, the man they had been looking for - The Lord Seeker, was standing atop the steps to the Hall. He laughed mockingly down at them, which, Brinn judged the others could hear, from their reactions.   
  


"Why is he doing this?" Cassandra asked, frantic, as she wiped the gore from her blade. Barris was just as frantic, sweat was pouring down his face, and his brows furrowed as the Lord Seeker boomed in a terrifyingly loud voice.

 

 Brinn walked with the others to the Lord Seeker, it was time for answers.  

 

 -----

 


End file.
